India Develops Indigenous Heat Resistance Testing Systems For Protective Textiles
The National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), under the Ministry of Textiles, has supported the development of three indigenous instruments to test convective, radiant and contact heat resistance in protective textiles. The systems, developed by the Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA), mark a major step toward self-reliant testing capabilities in India’s technical textile sector.
The project led to the creation of a Convective Heat Tester (ISO 9151), Radiant Heat Tester (ISO 6942), and Contact Heat Tester (IS 12127). These instruments are used to evaluate heat protection levels in firefighter suits, industrial protective gear and defence textiles.
Developed using fully indigenous technology, the instruments are priced between Rs 5–10 lakh, compared to Rs 15–40 lakh for imported equipment, making high-quality testing more affordable and widely accessible. The technology has been transferred to M/s Asian Test Equipment Pvt. Ltd., Ghaziabad, for commercial production.
The systems are already operational at Ace Incorporation, Kanpur, and the Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES), DRDO, Delhi. With local availability, testing time has reduced from 30 days to 3–5 days, and costs have dropped from Rs 25,000 – Rs 40,000 to Rs 6,000 – Rs 10,000 per sample.
NITRA noted that the instruments were designed based on extensive experience with imported models, ensuring comparable performance while promoting India’s goal of self-reliance and innovation in technical textiles.
